Spring structure



Ndv. 29, 1932.

c s. REED SPRING STRUCTURE Filed 001. 19, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet C/a/r 5.51 3 4 v @Lfi ATTO R N EY-$ Nov. 29, 1932. RED- 1,889,264

SPRING STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 19, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INYENTQR C/a/r feed ATTO RN EYS Nov. 29, 1 932. c, s, R 1,889,264

SPRING STRUCTURE Filed 001;. 19, 1931 s Sheets-Sheet 3 f w "J fi I .10 7 JO 7 1O INVENTOR C/cz/"T 5 .Feeaf ATTO RN E15 Patents 2, l

CLAIR S. REED, 0F JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 REYNOLDS SPRING COMEANY, 0F JACKSON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN SPRING STRUCTURE Application filed. October 19, 1931.

The present invention pertains to a novel spring structure designed especially for use as a unit inthe cushions and backs of motor vehicles and in various other articles of furniture having parts made up of coil springs.

In order to obtain asoft and durable spring unit, for motor vehicle seats and mattresses, it has been customary to enclose each coil in a bag of burlap or similar material. The expense of labor and material in this operation has resulted in the use of such units only in the more expensive installations.

The object of the present invention is to meet the constant demand for better quality and comfort in modernly priced articles, es-

pecially motor vehicles, in view of the fact that the aforementioned all-encased springs are too expensive for any but the higher priced articles. Another object of the invention is to avoid the clashing that occurs between the rows of bare or uncovered springs in the cheaper units.

These objects are accomplished by encasing certain of the intermediate rows of springs which make contact with the body of the user. In other words, the front and rear rows may be left bare inasmuch as they do not ordinarily take the load by direct contact with the body of the occupant. Moreover, not all the intermediate rows need be encased, for when there are more than two intermediate rows, they may be alternately covered and bare. In order to prevent clashing, the covered rows are so distributed that no two bare rows are in mutual contact. For the same purpose, the members of any given bare row are spaced from one another and thereby held out of mutual engagement.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following description and in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a spring made according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front end view;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the spring;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of ure 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view;

Iiig. 6 is a top plan view of a modification; an

Serial No. 569,589.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

As shown more clearly in Figure 3, the frame structure is built up on a lower border or base frame 1 which forms an enclosure of the required dimensions. The various coil springs embodied in the peripheral part of the structure are clamped to the border frame as will presently appear.

The springs 2 in the front row of the cushion are of the hourglass type as shown in Figure 2. Additional rows of hourglass springs 3 are provided within the frame 1 in parallel relation to the row 2 and spaced therefrom as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. The spacing between the rows is such as to receive intermediate rows of springs in a manner presently to be described. The front row 2 is preferably of a heavier gauge wire than the remaining rows, in order to withstand the heavier load and wear usually exerted on the front edge of a seat cushion.

. Between the rows 2 and 3 are provided in tervening rows of cylindrical coil springs 4 having substantially the gauge of the springs 3 but necessarily softer because of their eylindrical configuration. The springs 4.- are enclosed respectively in bags or casings formed by wrapping a piece of burlap or similar material 5 around each row, drawing the sides of the material and stitching them together as at (3 between the springs, and sewing the meeting edges of the material together as at 7. The bags or casings are preferably so formed as to place the springs 4: in a condition of initial compression.

The outer springs of these series, as well as the outer springs 2 and 3, are received in the channel shaped base frame 1 as indicated by the numeral 8 in Figure 3. For further maintaining the lower ends of the springs, transverse cross wires 9 are mounted in the plane of the base frame 1 and between adjacent rows of springs. Consequently there is an hourglass spring 2 or 3 and a cylindrical spring 4 at opposite sides of each wire 9,

and these three parts are fastened together by a clip 10 assed around the same and piercing the ottom of the cloth bag, as shown more clearly in Figure 5. A longitudinal wire 11 is also disposed in the center of the base frame 1, with its ends 12 secured to opposite ends of the base frame. This member is attached to the adjacent or hourglass and cylindrical springs by clips 13 and 14 respectively.

The tops of the marginal springs are secured to an upper border frame wire 15 by means of clips 16 and 17- as illustrated in Figure 1. The enclosed springs 4 are secured to the adjacent hourglass springs by means of wire clips 18 passed around the top coils of each pair of contiguous members. The

upper coils of adjacent springs in the rows 2 and 3 are spaced apart, as shown in Figure 1, and connected by links 19 wherever desired or necessary. It will be seen that the upper or seated surface of the spring cushion contains no bracing wires, although diagonal braces 20 are extended from the forward edge of the upper border frame 15 to the rear edge of the base frame 1.

In Figures 6 and 7 is illustrated a shorter cushion comprising four rows of springs. In applying to this construction the principles of the invention, which embody the provision of enclosed springs in the intermediate part of the cushion and avoid metal to metal contact between adjacent rows of springs, the front row 21 and rear row 22 are assembled of bare hourglass springs, while the two inner rows 23 consist of cylindrical springs covered in the manner already described in connection with Figures 1 to 5. The border frames and bracing means are of the same general character already described.

It will now be evident that the invention provides a cushion spring having a soft intermediate portion at substantially less cost than the all-encased springs commonly used in the'more expensive installations. At the same time, the clashing of adjacent rows of springs is avoided by placing a row of encased springs adjacent each row of bare springs and by spacing the bare springs in each row thereof.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. A spring structure comprising a plurality of rows of coil springs, alternate rows being spaced apart at least the width of the intermediate rows, the end rows being bare and of the hour glass type, cylindrical springs in certain of the interior rows, and fabric bags individually enclosing the springs in said interior rows, said interior rows of enclosed springs being fully coextensive with the corresponding dimension of the spring structure.

2. A spring structure comprising a plurality of rows of coil springs, alternate rows being spaced apart at least the width of the intermediate rows, the end rows being bare, cylindrical springs in certain of the interior rows, and fabric bags individually enclosing the springs in said interior rows, said enclosed springs extending the entire depth of the spring structure, said interior rows of enclosed springs being fully co-extensive with the corresponding dimension of the spring structure.

In testimony thereof I aflix my signature.

CLAIR S. REED. 

